A writer’s life isn’t usually the most glamorous job in the world. When you watch Carrie Bradshaw take a puff from her cigarette, purse her lips, fluff up her perfectly curly hair and type out the question of the week on Sex and the City, you easily get the impression that writers effortlessly lead the most fabulous lives. In reality, writers probably look more like the pool of writers on 30 Rock. No Manolos or martinis, just a lot of frustration, writer’s block and bad hair days.
It’s a hard and thankless job for TV and movie writers. They’re in the world’s most popular industry, but you only know them — if you do know them — by their names. You never see their faces except maybe when they accept awards during the Golden Globes or Oscars. (Even then, you’re probably bored and waiting for the next celebrity presenter.) Actors and directors are hailed and showered with accolades for their performances and work that we watch, and we often forget to appreciate the writers who are behind the plots, the characters, and the unforgettable lines. I’ve never written anything for TV or a movie, but I have the highest respect for them and their constant generation of ideas and putting them into prose that we watch on screen. TV and movies are the most watched media today and they influence popular culture immensely. Heck, they’re practically the foundations!
Watching TV and movies has never been better, especially now that the networks transcend the traditional vessels they once used to present shows. We learn about shows now through word of mouth, merchandise (The NBC Experience Store in New York is a couch potato’s dream come true), and most especially, new media. A long, long time ago, I went insane if I missed an episode of Dawson’s Creek. Phone calls and bathroom breaks were banned, lest I missed a single sarcastic remark, lovelorn look, or a single second of the show. I was enthralled for practically a full hour before going back to agonizing until next week’s episode. With TV shows available on DVDs, I can hold my own DVD marathons whenever I want and blissfully skip, rewind, fast-forward and pause to my heart’s content.
The Internet has also enhanced the TV- or movie-watching experience. I’ve watched webpisodes of The Office, read Dwight’s and Creed’s blog, and lusted over an “I Heart Jim” shirt. I’ve selected songs, looked at episode pictures and re-read quotes from The O.C. I’ve read news, spoiler-free updates and reviews of upcoming movies.
These new media have definitely changed the way we watch TV and movies, and the Writer’s Guild of America knows this. That’s why they’ve been on strike since November 5. A little history: back in the ‘80s, when home video was just starting up with Betamax and VHS tapes, studios asked writers to take an 80-percent cut in their residuals to grow the market. Writers agreed with the understanding that they would get back the 80 percent they had given up once the business was stable. More than 20 years later, with the proliferation and success of DVDs, their pay remains the same. Writers get about one-third of one penny for every dollar that gets spent making the DVD. Now they’re asking for about two-thirds of a penny. In addition, writers get paid the same rate for the shows that are downloaded online, even with the obvious savings studios get (no production, shipping or storage costs). And for the shows that are streamed online? Writers don’t get paid at all because studios say these are only “promotional” tools, even if entire shows are streamed.
Novelists, songwriters, and other creative writers in various fields are immediately entitled to their pay cut when their work is produced or sold. It seems unfair that the TV and movie writers aren’t treated and valued the same. You would think that studios took care of their writers, the ones who play a huge role in shaping and developing the characters, adding subplots and twists, and dreaming up the stories that sell them movie tickets, DVDs and advertising. Instead of supporting their writers, the studios have put up a defensive front, responding that they shouldn’t even have to pay at all for a writer’s work after they’re done writing. Moreover, studios have expressed uncertainty regarding income from the Internet. Even as they create websites, sell advertising and earn money through the new media, they claim to be unsure of the viability of the Internet as a medium. It seems the studios are committed to the Internet as the next big thing for their shows and movies — except when it comes to allocating a share of that big thing to their writers.
Yes, no writers, actors or directors have ever gotten a share from advertising revenue that studios get, but the industry is changing, largely because of technology. I don’t consume entertainment in the same way I did 10 years ago, or even five years ago. Is it right that studios stream videos for free yet earn billions from advertising? What if TV and Internet merged? What if DVDs become obsolete? In the flurry of changes, one thing still remains: writers deserve a share of the income generated from their work. Studios need to understand this. It’s natural that they’re tentative about new media and future formats, but whatever happens, there are still writers behind each uttered word and happy ending. They can adapt their own business to the new changes. They should be able to adjust their dealings with the essential people accordingly. “Writers can be replaced, as we are constantly reminded. But so can companies,” blogs Joss Whedon on www.whedonesque.com.
After weeks of deadlocked silence juxtaposed with noisy (and star-studded) picketing outside studios, I’m glad to hear that the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Pictures (AMPTP) and the WGA are resuming talks on November 26. Numerous shows have shut down production already, and with a few episodes left, it won’t be long until most shows are off the air. Thank God we aren’t affected directly and immediately (gotta love our local soaps!), but I don’t think we should be complacent. As a writer, I feel very passionate about supporting the WGA, but I also understand the gravity of this strike for both sides and the entire industry. This affects culture as we know and consume it, and it could very well define new standards for our future creative writers, too. We can only hope that both sides reach a fair and just decision that allows them — and us — to celebrate entertainment and embrace the future.